NBA Daily Fantasy: With tiny two-game slate, now is not the night to avoid Nikola Jokic

PublishedJanuary 19, 2021

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The amount of fingers Kendrick Lamar tells you to put in the air during HiiiPower is higher than the amount of NBA games scheduled for tonight. Fret not, misled degenerate, that makes the evening more enticing, not less. If you subscribe to the preference of being a big fish in a small pond, these two games were made especially for you. If you’d rather the array of options, meaning an unavoidable amount of chaos to sort through for your decision-making, sit tonight out. A two-game slate indicates you’ll only win with creativity. We begin with the most obvious pick of the night.

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Elites - Yah

Image for article titled NBA Daily Fantasy: With tiny two-game slate, now is not the night to avoid Nikola Jokic — Image: Getty Images

👍 Nikola Jokic, C, Denver Nuggets

Yahoo: $53 │DraftKings: $11,000 │FanDuel: $11,500

Honestly, nothing needs to be said here, but we’ll keep this brief: If you can’t create a viable lineup using Jokic tonight of all nights, then I don’t know what to tell you. That doesn’t mean you need to play him tonight, but given he’s the singular expensive option tonight, there’s no reason for you to avoid playing the arguable league MVP just to get cute. Jokic is averaging 25, 11, and 10.

C’mon, son.

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Elites - Nah

👎 Rudy Gobert, C, Utah Jazz

Yahoo: $31 │DraftKings: $7,600 │FanDuel: $8,500

Gobert’s excellent and not even at lousy value. But you’re going to avoid Jokic for what? You’re going to get cute and run Steven Adams for what? Don’t overthink this. Gobert has only shot 10 times since New Year’s Day, and hasn’t scored more than 15 points since. What he has done is record 10 or more rebounds in each of his last eight games. But Jokic wipes his Serbian ass with a mere double-double. The reason he’s much more expensive is because he remains the surest thing in fantasy hoops. If you’d like to play both because of Gobert’s shot-blocking upside, have a blast, but don’t play Gobert over Jokic just to save.

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Sleepers

😴 JaMychal Green, PF, Denver Nuggets

Yahoo: $10 │DraftKings: $4,600 │FanDuel: $4,500

Your sleeper options are thin, and given the general pair of match-ups tonight, you’ll have to reach for someone. That said, Green’s benefitted from COVID denier Michael Porter Jr’s absence due to the disease. The University of Alabama alum is averaging 11.1 points and 6.7 rebounds on 48.5 percent shooting, including a blistering 51.3 percent made from three. Jokic also gave Green a lifetime endorsement, and against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Green should be able to shake off his 2-for-8 shooting performance from two nights ago against the Jazz.

Other sleepers to consider: Nickeil Alexander-Walker (if Lonzo Ball remains out), Royce O’Neale, and maybe even Isaiah Roby.

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Fuck It

Hamidou Diallo, SG/SF, Oklahoma City Thunder

Yahoo: $14 │DraftKings: $4,700 │FanDuel: $4,500

He only had two points on 1-for-6 shooting in his last out, but he’s only nine nights removed from recording back-to-back 20-point games for the first time as a pro. Diallo will be inconsistent all-season long, but if there were a night to bank on his potential, it’s a night where only around 40 or so NBA players will actually take the floor. He arguably has the highest one-game ceiling of every guard in his range, and is worth a flyer considering his price.

Other “Fuck It” options: Lonzo Ball (if healthy), Eric Bledsoe, Donovan Mitchell, and maybe Josh Hart one more time, even though when I play him, it never works out. Josh and I haven’t gotten on the same page yet, so I’ll avoid him, and you can let me know how that goes.

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